The Jammu and Kashmir International Film Festival, which is all set to start today, can become much more than a cultural event. It can open a new window for Kashmir. With around 1,100 entries from 92 countries and 135 films shortlisted for screening, the festival has already created international interest. The real opportunity now is to turn this interest into a sustained economic and cultural movement. Kashmir has a long association with cinema. Its landscapes have been featured in countless films. The Valley was once among the preferred destinations for filmmakers. That relationship weakened over the past few decades. A successful international film festival can help rebuild it. Cinema has a unique ability to change how a place is seen. A film shot in Kashmir can showcase its mountains, lakes, villages and heritage to millions of viewers. This can strengthen the tourism brand of the region. It can also create a new form of film tourism. Visitors may want to see locations they have watched on screen. Local businesses can benefit from such interest. Hotels, restaurants, transport operators, guides and handicraft sellers can all gain. The benefits, however, should go beyond tourism. A regular film industry presence can create employment opportunities for local people. Production companies need technicians, photographers, editors, designers, drivers, assistants and other skilled workers. Young people in Kashmir can therefore find new career avenues. The festival’s master classes and interactive sessions are particularly important in this regard. They can connect local students with experienced filmmakers and industry professionals. Such interaction can encourage young talent to develop their skills. Kashmir also has stories of its own to tell. A special category has been created for films from Jammu and Kashmir. This special category for films from the union territory can provide a platform for local filmmakers. Their work can reach audiences and professionals from different parts of the world. This can encourage more investment in local filmmaking. It can also help preserve the region’s culture, traditions and oral histories through cinema. Its greatest value will come if it develops into a permanent ecosystem. The administration should create a predictable and transparent film-friendly environment. Permissions should be quicker. Locations should be easily accessible. Local talent should be connected with production houses. Film schools and universities should be encouraged to develop specialised courses. Incentives can also be considered for productions that employ local professionals. The event can further strengthen Kashmir’s international cultural profile. Bringing filmmakers, actors, producers, critics and students from different countries can create lasting professional and cultural connections. It can also provide Kashmir with a platform to project a message of hospitality, creativity and normalcy. Yet expectations must remain realistic. One festival cannot transform the film economy overnight. Its success will depend on continuity, professional management and sustained government support. Kashmir valley already possesses the natural beauty that filmmakers seek. What it needs is a strong ecosystem that makes filming here easier and more rewarding. The international film festival can be the beginning of that transformation.
Film Future
